CDC funds public health associate fellowship
Date: 8/2/2013
By Carley Dangona
carley@thereminder.comWEST SPRINGFIELD – The Public Health Department announced the addition of a government-funded staffer on July 30.
During a press conference at the Town Hall Jeanne Galloway, director of Public Health, introduced Brian McCartney as a Public Health associate. The compensation and benefits for the two-year job are entirely funded by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through its Public Health Associate Program.
“I arrived yesterday morning from Denver, Colo. I came out here on a whim after receiving the final offer on Friday [July 26],” McCartney said, explaining that he was willing to travel a great distance for a job opportunity since the job market in Denver was “horrendous.”
Galloway said that McCartney would primarily serve as a sanitarian, completing inspections of food establishments to ensure all regulations are enforced. Once McCartney completes orientation at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, Ga., he will have another 40 to 60 hours of online training to finish. In the future, he would also assist with emergency preparedness planning.
She explained that West Side was one of 50 cities and towns to receive an employee from the CDC program. It is also the only New England town to benefit from the fellowship. Galloway explained that the additional staff member would assist the previously understaffed department in catching up on its work.
McCartney, a native of Colorado, is a sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserve and earned a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice and criminology in 2012. He spent a yearlong tour of duty in Baghdad, Iraq and served as a military police officer for seven years.
He chose the Public Health domain because he enjoys working with the public and wanted a change of pace while giving back to the community.
When asked what projects she’d like to focus on once McCartney is settled, Galloway said she’d like to offer more public outreach programs discussing health and the environment.
